RUSTON – West Monroe has seen its fair share of former quarterbacks go on to play major Division I football, with Paul Turner as the most recent example.

Turner signed a scholarship with LSU out of high school before transferring to Louisiana Tech in 2013. After sitting out a year, he's expected to play a key role in the Bulldogs' passing offense as their top wide receiver.

Across from Turner in the secondary this season is former West Monroe teammate Xavier Woods, who will be doing some quarterbacking of his own in first-year defensive coordinator Manny Diaz's system.

Woods didn't technically play quarterback in high school, but he's earned the task of calling out plays and checks to the defense from his safety position.

It's certainly a hefty leap from where he was a year ago.

"I'm a quiet guy, so talking is uncomfortable," Woods said. "Now I've grown, I've matured and I've become more comfortable with talking and being the quarterback of the defense back there at safety."

Woods started all 12 games last season as a true freshman, but it came in Kim Dameron's scheme. The former defensive coordinator left in the offseason to become the head coach at Eastern Illinois, paving the way for Diaz to come to Ruston with his attacking style of play.

Normally, a new coach and a new system would send the brain scattering in 100 different directions. Not for Woods, though, nor the rest of the secondary for that matter.

So what exactly does Woods do? He sets the tone for the entire defense on every play, something he'll need to do with pinpoint precision Saturday against Oklahoma's high-powered offense.

"We ask them to do a lot," Tech safeties coach Blake Baker said. "In today's offense with spread and no-huddle, I tell my guys we can't huddle on defense. There's no more middle linebacker calling the plays and going from there. We have to be the quarterback of the defense and line everybody up."

Picking things up on the fly has always been Woods' strength, which is why Dameron had enough confidence to start him in 2013. He delivered, racking up 61 tackles while playing multiple positions like safety and nickel back to cover slot receivers.

Baker, like Dameron, has quickly noticed Woods' attributes.

"Xavier Woods is just the consummate professional," Baker said. "He handles business on and off the field. As a sophomore, he's got a real leadership role on this team and as he's grown into that role he's become more vocal, which I've kind of encouraged."

Although things come easy for Woods, in large part to the coaching he received at West Monroe, it's not the same for the rest of the secondary.

Woods realizes there's a learning curve, and he's doing his best to help out in any way possible.

"Not all the safeties and corners are going to learn the playbook as fast as others," Woods said. "I was just so fortunate to learn the playbook fast. Obviously in the spring with the incoming freshmen, we helped them out so they could learn and play fast."

Experience is one of main themes surrounding Tech's secondary this fall camp, but that word could be misleading.

Woods is just a true sophomore, while fellow safety Lloyd Grogan is just a redshirt sophomore and safety Kentrell Brice is a junior. Behind the trio are redshirt freshman Michael Mims and true freshman Secdrick Cooper.

"It's still learning a new system, but it's an easy system for them to take on to," Holtz said. "I think it's a tribute to coach Diaz. I think he does a phenomenal job. I think he brings great energy to that defense. They feed off that. You can see that."

Grogan and Brice have battled for the other safety spot all camp, and it's unclear who will get the 'start' Saturday. It's probably a moot point, though, because both will rotate.

Either way, there's little question as to the talent Woods has back there with him.

And based off what coaches and players are saying, the trio of safeties could play at most places in the country, most notably Grogan, who at 6-foot-1, 211 pounds resembles an SEC defensive back.

"Whenever coach Diaz called me and asked me if I would be interested in Louisiana Tech, I said yeah there's no doubt about it," said Baker, who came from Boise State. "He said wait until you see the safeties I got for you here. He wasn't lying, man."